Published on by Olivier Maupas-Sehikyan · Rings
Some commissions begin with a simple appointment. Others, like the one I am about to tell you about, begin with a confidence. One day, a client pushed open the door of my workshop in Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire, near Nantes, with a very precise idea in mind and a case of nerves he made no attempt to hide. He wanted to propose to his partner. And he wanted the ring to reflect his love: unique.
A moving request, the dream of a bespoke engagement ring
I remember the way he spoke. He was not describing a piece of jewellery to me, he was talking about her. About what she loves, the way she carries herself, what feels like her. Then, almost apologetically, he shared his dream: a cushion-cut Ceylon sapphire, mounted in 18-carat yellow gold and surrounded by diamonds.
I did not need to persuade him. A bespoke engagement ring is born precisely from this kind of conversation, where one takes the time to listen before drawing. We talked about the stone, the warmth of the gold, the light the diamonds were to bring. Together, we imagined a handcrafted, precious creation, designed for his future fiancée and for no one else.
The Ceylon sapphire, a rare and luminous stone
Everything began with the stone. I chose a Ceylon sapphire for its intense blue and remarkable clarity. When you turn it in the light, it does not merely sparkle: it seems to hold a depth within, like calm water seen from a great height.
The cushion cut quickly became the obvious choice. Its soft, rounded outline gives the stone an antique charm that I am very fond of and that my client appreciated too. Nothing angular, nothing severe: a shape that seems almost tender.
Diamonds to create a dialogue between colour and light
Around the sapphire, I arranged white diamonds, selected one by one for their brilliance. Their role is a precise one. They enhance the deep hue of the central stone, while giving the ring a lively, almost playful light. The blue is magnified, without ever being overwhelmed.
Every element was considered in line with the client's wishes and his future fiancée's style. For me, this is the golden rule of the craft: a successful piece of jewellery does not seek to impress, it seeks to resemble.
From sketch to setting: making the ring in my workshop
Once the stones were chosen, I picked up my pencil. Drawing is a stage I never rush, because it fixes the proportions, the balance between the sapphire and its surround, the height of the mount on the finger. Nothing is left to chance, even though the final result should look effortless.
The ring was then made in my workshop, at the heart of my boutique. There, I worked the 18-carat yellow gold by hand, a noble and warm material that warms the blue of the sapphire rather than cooling it. The mount was shaped to fit the central stone perfectly and to hold the diamonds in balance. A cushion-cut sapphire demands the right curves: too tight, and they stifle it; too loose, and they leave it vulnerable.
A precise setting, balancing strength and delicacy
Then comes the moment I love most, and also the most demanding: the setting. It was carried out with great precision, to guarantee both the strength of the ring and the delicacy of its appearance. An engagement ring is worn every day, for years. It must therefore hold firm, without ever showing it.
Every stage, from the drawing to the finishing, was carried out with passion, in keeping with the rules of the jeweller's art. The finishing, in particular, is a work of patience: one polishes, reworks, inspects under the loupe, then polishes again, until the gold feels smooth under the finger and the stones have all their light.
An engagement ring full of emotion
When the piece is finished, I set it down for a moment on my workbench and look at it, before entrusting it to its owner. This 18-carat yellow gold engagement ring, adorned with a Ceylon sapphire and diamonds, is far more than an assembly of precious materials. It is the symbol of a commitment, of a unique moment that will remain etched in a couple's memory.
This is what I think as I hand it over: it no longer belongs to me. It belongs to a story that is beginning, to a question about to be asked, to an answer I can imagine without knowing it. This is what makes my profession so singular. I make an object, but I take part, very modestly, in a moment of life.
As a designer jeweller, I am deeply honoured to be part of these stories. Each new commission becomes, for me, an adventure that is both human and artistic, starting from a dream and arriving at a piece of jewellery that can be passed down.
Let's talk about your project at the workshop
If you too are carrying an idea for an engagement ring, however vague, however barely formed, you are most welcome at my workshop in Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire, near Nantes. We will take the time to talk it through, over a coffee, with stones and sketches on the table. You do not need to arrive with a finished plan: all you need is the desire to tell your story.
